Mercy and Melted Ice Cream
Instead of cleaning out my freezer, I could have been looking over the shredded remains of our home. I could have been facing the loss of everything we own. God protected us from that devastation, and although I rejoiced for a day or so, I immediately fell back into self-pity over a few hours of gross housework? How quickly I forget!
Beautiful Feet
[The Bible] doesn’t specify if the feet are old or young, clean or dirty, what color they are. They are just beautiful.
Even So, God is at Work!
These past months have not turned out as we had imagined they would. Many of our visitors were unable to come due to borders closing, mission trips were cancelled, ministries were prohibited to continue. Even so, God is at work in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Helping Orphans When Others Can’t
“Oh, there are many suffering. Where do we begin?” After discussing several options we agreed to start with a nearby orphanage where a small group of nuns care for 81 kids who were born HIV+.
Erik’s Reflection on Pentecost
Erik expects an unprecedented Pentecost for unprecedented times. “It’s my prayer that we would no longer keep Christ quarantined within our homes, within our church walls — that we would be bold proclaimers of the Gospel.”
Natalia’s Reflection on the Ascension
Natalia Schumann reflects on the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven and His last words to his disciples. #thegreatcommission
Lockdown Ministry in Peru
I never knew living in solidarity with the poor meant being locked away from them for weeks! I think about what St. Paul must have felt when he was imprisoned: his ministries were halted by the authorities and he was unable to share the Good News as he planned. However St. Paul did not sit idle during his confinement.
A Missionary in a Pandemic
“I certainly didn’t plan for a worldwide pandemic to happen in my first year back in the field,” I shared with her. “None of us knew that this would happen,” she said. “But the Lord knew. And He still called you.” She encouraged me to sit with that, not as a reason to either stay or go, but rather to really give everything back to the Lord and seek Him in each situation.
Novena of Praise and Thanks
FMC’s Response to COVID-19
We’ve put together an FAQ page in response to and in anticipation of the many questions you may have about our missionaries and our response to the current pandemic.
A Missionary Family
Some days I feel like I’m not doing much—I have this vision of getting up in front of the congregation, preaching the Gospel from my heart to a church full of people and playing guitar while leading beautiful hymns. Then reality hits: I don’t speak Spanish that well, and I can’t play the guitar. This missionary life has been a lesson in putting what little I have at the disposal of the Holy Spirit, even my weakness.
Gabriel and the Wooden Airplane
I looked in his eyes and told him he was a special young man. I asked him why he did it; His response was simple, “It’s what Jesus would have done.”
Meru Children’s Home
Doktors in Taiwan
The first night was interesting for sure. The nights still got down to the 40s and, without heat, we were a little chilly. There were a bunch of noises, too, to feed our imaginations: some weird squealing (which we think now is a nighthawk), a rooster who must be jet lagged too as he started at 2am, and then stray dogs barking for what seemed like hours at a time. We were rattled by the initial shock of being in such a different place. The next morning, the reading was from Mark 4 where Jesus calmed the storm and I felt like the Lord was speaking to me when he said, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” (Mark 4:40)
Dependent on Others?!
We were visiting the States without a home, without a vehicle, and without a lot of money. We were not sure how it was going to work out. A family of seven takes up a lot of space in a home, eats a lot of food, and requires a large vehicle.
Youth Retreat in Kenya
Karen Carmody tells the story of her family putting on a retreat for young people in their diocese in Kenya. Lots of photos and videos!
Forget Not the Poor
I burst into tears. Perhaps one of the hardest things about being a missionary is seeing that, in spite of our efforts to live in solidarity with the poor, there exists a world of difference in the opportunities available to us and to them. Try as I might, I’ll never truly understand the plight of the poor.
When the Poor Became My Family
I began to cry quietly in my little spot in the dark. It was an invitation. An invitation to poverty and generosity in a way that I had not yet known. An invitation into this part of Jesus’ life––and it felt impossible.
